“Who is this cute character?” you might ask upon spying the cheerful face painted on the log above. Well, if you find a villa in Catalonia and decide to spend Christmas enjoying the region’s incredible ski resorts in the Catalan Pyrénées, the delicious cuisine that will delight even the most discerning of foodies, and the distinct and truly unique culture of Catalonia, then you are sure to encounter this guy! One of the region’s many, specific, utterly singular, and somewhat bizarre Christmas traditions, the Caga Tió is a taste of the wacky fun that awaits, in addition to all of the other wonderful parts of the Holiday Season in this part of Spain.
The Tió de Nadal, also known often as the Caga Tió, or Pooing Log, might surprise those uninitiated with the ways of Catalonia but food and poo are both very important to Christmas celebrations in the region. In fact, there is another poo-related figure that gets pride of place in the ornamental Nativity scenes displayed in homes each Christmas: Caganer, a man in traditional Catalan clothing who is depicted squatting, with his trousers around his ankles, defecating in the crib and who is said to be a symbol of good luck dating back to the 17th or 18th century. Now more of satirical figure, Nativity scenes in the region are not complete without him. Similarly, Caga Tió is an important Christmas decoration that is a must in homes all throughout Catalonia.
A small wooden log that has a big smiling face painted on it and is wearing a traditional Catalan barretina hat, it is traditionally placed next to the fireplace in homes on the 8th of December, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and he is then cared for by the children of the home for the next few weeks while they excitedly await their reward. They keep him warm by putting a blanket over him and fatten him up by, “feeding,” him sweets and dried fruits. Then, on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day (depending on the household), usually after the main meal of the day has been finished, the children hit poor Caga Tió with sticks while singing a special song in order to make him excrete gifts and sweets. When the blanket he has been wearing is removed, the children will find a stash of sweets, toys, and other little gifts for them.
Traditionally, the children are told to leave the room before the hitting begins to pray for the gifts but nowadays, this portion of the tradition is usually left behind but the kids are still encouraged to leave the room under various pretences to allow their relatives to place the gifts and sweets under the blanket. Bigger gifts and those for specific children, rather than communal offerings shared among everyone, are said to be brought by the Three Wise Men, instead.
Once Caga Tió, has fully met his purpose and done his job, his fate traditionally ultimately leads to him being discarded into the fire and this is said to date back to when rural families would gather around the fire together for warmth. This part of the process is also now often thrown out as not all households have fireplaces and some just choose not to burn him.
One of the many elements that make the festive period so unique in this part of Spain, the Caga Tió is commonly found at markets and in shops throughout Catalonia in the run up to Christmas and the cheery-looking and generous decoration is a fun local tradition to engage with and makes for a unique gift or memento if you are spending the Holidays on vacation in Catalonia! Plan your Christmas getaway in Spain today and get your hands on one for yourself.
A small wooden log that has a big smiling face painted on it and is wearing a traditional Catalan barretina hat, it is traditionally placed next to the fireplace in homes on the 8th of December, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and he is then cared for by the children of the home for the next few weeks while they excitedly await their reward. They keep him warm by putting a blanket over him and fatten him up by, “feeding,” him sweets and dried fruits. Then, on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day (depending on the household), usually after the main meal of the day has been finished, the children hit poor Caga Tió with sticks while singing a special song in order to make him excrete gifts and sweets. When the blanket he has been wearing is removed, the children will find a stash of sweets, toys, and other little gifts for them.
Traditionally, the children are told to leave the room before the hitting begins to pray for the gifts but nowadays, this portion of the tradition is usually left behind but the kids are still encouraged to leave the room under various pretences to allow their relatives to place the gifts and sweets under the blanket. Bigger gifts and those for specific children, rather than communal offerings shared among everyone, are said to be brought by the Three Wise Men, instead.
Once Caga Tió, has fully met his purpose and done his job, his fate traditionally ultimately leads to him being discarded into the fire and this is said to date back to when rural families would gather around the fire together for warmth. This part of the process is also now often thrown out as not all households have fireplaces and some just choose not to burn him.
One of the many elements that make the festive period so unique in this part of Spain, the Caga Tió is commonly found at markets and in shops throughout Catalonia in the run up to Christmas and the cheery-looking and generous decoration is a fun local tradition to engage with and makes for a unique gift or memento if you are spending the Holidays on vacation in Catalonia! Plan your Christmas getaway in Spain today and get your hands on one for yourself.
Photo credit: Toniher / CC BY-SA 3.0